When it comes to movies, not all the good guys get all the glory. However, there have been plenty of movie heroes out there who owe much of their success to their friends. Below are ten of the best movie sidekicks to ever grace the big screen.

Let’s get the obvious one out of the way first. When most people think about sidekicks, Batman’s boy wonder is likely to be the first second banana to spring to mind. While Robin is a much more legendary sidekick in comic books and television, Chris O’Donnell’s appearance in two Batman movies help earn him a spot on this list.

9 Cameron Frye – ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’

Cameron is exactly the type of lovable loser that makes for a great sidekick. Despite his constant whining and fear of his father, Cam and his Red Wings Jersey are right there to back up Ferris Bueller no matter what crazy idea he gets in his head. He may not be the type of guy that gets the girl, but that doesn’t stop him from finding his way into the hearts of plenty of movie-goers.

8 Buzz Lightyear – ‘Toy Story’

Buzz Lightyear certainly wouldn’t think of himself as a sidekick. However, when it comes to the toys in Andy’s life, everyone will always take a backseat to Woody. Outside of the toy chest, Buzz easily finds himself in the role of leader and hero. However, when it comes to taking on Lotso and his henchman, he’ll happily share the responsibility with a certain superstar cowboy.

7 Short Round – ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’

Long before Indiana Jones was hanging out with Shia LaBeouf, he was skirting around Shanghai with a little guy by the name of Short Round. Unlike the Shia/Harrison match up, Jonathan Ke Quan serves as an excellent addition to Indy’s personality (of course, a much better script didn’t hurt either). From driving a 1936 Speedster during a car chase scene to shocking Indy out of hypnosis with the help of a torch, Short Round shouldered much of the load when it came to defeating the insidious Mola Ram.

6 Silent Bob – View Askew Films

What he lacks in conversation, he makes up for in charisma. Throughout such films as Clerks, Mallrats and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Bob is right there to back up his burnout buddy. While Jay may sometimes berate him with a few jokes about his weight, he takes it all in stride with a simple shrug and puff of a cigarette. Of course, he’s a great listener, and when necessary, he can expound deep words of wisdom.

5 Pedro Sanchez – ‘Napoleon Dynamite’

When you’re the oddball out in school, the only chance you have for friendship is to find someone as equally weird as you. Such is the case for Napoleon Dynamite, who finds a kindred spirit in the whisper-quiet, wig-wearing Pedro Sanchez. Despite being an outsider, Pedro shows Napoleon that a little reserved confidence can go a long way when it comes to fulfilling your dreams.

4 Goose – ‘Top Gun’

It’s not uncommon for the sidekick to bite the bullet so the hero can soldier on. Such is the case with Goose in Top Gun. Up in the skies, Maverick and Goose own the airspace, running down bogeys and running flanking missions. Down on the ground, they continue the bombing on the volleyball court. In both cases, Goose sets ’em ep, and Maverick knocks ’em down!

3 Garth – ‘Wayne’s World’

The name of the low-budget cable access show may be Wayne’s World, but it just wouldn’t be the same without Garth Algar riding sidecar to the titular Wayne Campbell. Wayne is that nerdy, awkward metal head that we all knew in high school. While he may be a bit soft-spoken, he’ll break that trend when it comes to telling Wayne he’s getting too big of a head or spending a bit too much time with his girlfriend.

2 Ron and Hermione – Harry Potter Series

Of all the people who stuck with Harry Potter to the very end, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger deserve the most credit. From their very first year at Hogwarts all the way down to the final duel with Voldemort, these two young wizards were right behind Harry all the way.

1 Chewbacca – ‘Star Wars’

Let’s face it: Han Solo would be nothing if not for the loyal sidekick-ery of his very hairy friend. Even though we can’t understand his language, Chewie proves his worth time and time again throughout the Star Wars saga. From protecting Princess Leia to repairing a hyper-drive system on the fly, the Rebels owe much of the resistance to this super fuzzy sidekick.

About Jeff Wysaski...
Jeff Wysaski is a freelance humor writer based out of Los Angeles. He has written for such esteemed online sites as Manolith, COED Magazine and Pleated Jeans. When not behind his laptop, Jeff can probably be found at a comedy show, eating a sandwich or practicing his latest ribbon dancing routine.

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How about John Watson, he's a great sidekick for Sherlock. They made a very good team together…

07.21.11 at 3:20 am

Mantastic

Spock and McCoy?

07.21.11 at 3:23 am

Purplepenquin

A) Please don't ever mention the movie "Batman & Robin" in an article about the "greatest" anything.
B) Didn't you know that Cameron isn't a side-kick, but rather the main character? Ferris is just an alter-ego that he aspires to be.

07.21.11 at 6:27 am

John Lewis Sales

I always used to think that Hermione is going to be Harry potter girl but ron wins the race :D